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Modest Style Guide is your online modest fashion magazine. We provide you with tips and news about the counterculture of the modest lifestyle (Halal food - recipes, restaurant features/reviews, hotel features/reviews, Halal skincare products, travel guides, modest fashion, religious experiences/reminders, the Islamic economy etc).
*Counterculture (Noun): Way of life and set of attitudes that is completely different from the main culture in society.

Read About The Strangeness Of Islam

"Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers." - Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of GOD be upon him).

Islam with its message of monotheism was considered a very strange thing during the time of Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of GOD be upon him) when polytheism was the norm and it is obvious that in the world we live in today, Islam is also now considered a 'strange' religion. One of the things a lot of non-Muslims find strange about Islam and Muslims is the fact that we have to pray five times through out the day and night. We were reading an article in relation to Muslims the other day, and one of the commenters said something along the lines of, they spend all their time praying, how do they do anything else?

That comment made us laugh out loud because when you think about it in relation to the world we live in today, it is a very valid question, but we can assure you (non-Muslims) that we (Muslims) do get a lot of other things done in spite of the fact that we pray five times throughout the day and night but we admit that we do have help (divine help) because in each of the compulsory prayers, we ask GOD for help with our wants, needs and aspirations and we do get help. In fact the most recited chapter in the Qur'an (Surah Al Fatiha) that is a compulsory part of our daily prayers, includes the verse:

You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).

The complete verses of Surah Al - Fatiha are as follows:

Qur'an:1 : 1-7:

1."In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

2. All praise and thanks are ALLAH's, the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists).

3. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

4. The only owner (and the only Ruling Judge) of the day of Judgement (i.e the day of resurrection)

5. You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).

6. Guide us to the straight way.

7. The way of those on whom you have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray."

The fact that Islam is now seen as a 'strange' religion in the world we live in today is one of the reasons why we have what we term 'massive respect' for converts to Islam because it takes a lot of courage and intellectual independence to take the stance to become a Muslim in this current society. These days, most people who convert to Islam do so after months or years of their own research and not because an Imam or a Muslim tried to convert them, and after their conversion to Islam, they are often ostracized by their families and friends and have to build new friendships whilst being patient with members of their family because though they can do away with friends that have ostracized them, in Islam they are forbidden to do the same to members of their family because we are commanded by GOD in the Qur'an not to break the bonds of kinship.

Qur'an: 4: 1:"In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful1. O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hauwa, (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women through whom you demand (your mutual rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, ALLAH is ever an all-watcher over you."Qur'an: 13: 25:"And those who break the covenant of ALLAH, after its ratification, and sever that which ALLAH has commanded to be joined (i.e. they sever the bond of kinship and are not good to their relatives), and work mischief in the land, on them is the curse (i.e. they will be faraway from ALLAH's mercy), and for them is the unhappy (evil) home (i.e. hell)."

In the narration that was reported by `Abdullaah bin `Amr bin Al-`Aas, may ALLAH be pleased with him and his father, the Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of GOD be upon him) said:

"The person who perfectly maintains the ties of kinship is not the one who does it due to having it recompensed by his relatives (for being kind and good to them); rather, the one who truly maintains the bonds of kinship is the one who persists in doing so, despite his relatives severing the ties of kinship with him." [Al-Bukhari].

One of the companions of the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of GOD be upon him) - Abu Hurayrah may ALLAH be pleased with him, reported that:

"A man said to the Messenger of ALLAH (May the peace and blessings of GOD be upon him): 'I have relatives with whom I try to keep good ties, but they sever relations with me; I treat them kindly but they treat me badly; I am gentle with them but they are harsh with me.' Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of GOD be upon him) replied: "If you are as you say, it is as if you are feeding them hot ashes, and you will have a supporter against them from ALLAH as long as you continue to do so."- [Muslim].

Muslims are not even allowed to sever relations with members of their family who are being unkind to them, instead they are adviced to continue to be gentle with them, that is indeed strange.

"Islam began as something strange and will revert to being strange as it began, so give glad tidings to the strangers." - Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of GOD be upon him).